The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-09-08

Fred. she Saiu 10 nrrStII. me QOtsn
know that | am here or that You are
nv aunt. And Inc wouldn't send 10 ny
initials anyway.
4 moment later bells were jangling
and maids were summoned in greatest
haste Miss Emmie had sunk down, a
heap Of pink and white prcttines~, 1T
the feet Of her aunt. Miss Flora Ethel
Arlington. in dead faint.
Brightest and busiest Of all the brigh!
and busy maids who humancly helped
Miss Emmic to regain her CONSEQUENCES
and it, attendant misery was Miss Eta
Archer. This young person was the
first to spy the dispatch lying where
poor Emmic had lei ii drop. She start
ed when she saw the signature, but did
not permit her surprise to prevent her
spreading her skirts over the
paper rs she knclt beside the faint
ing girl. Nor did her assiduity inter-
fcre with her securing the document
unobserved BY the Others.
Escaping to retired corner. she read
the lines that had been SO disastrous TO
Emmic's peace Of mind. Being Il
young lady Of strong nerves, she was
not similarly affected. She only re
marked: well, if | hcver.' and then:
If 'avcn't been and writ to Miss
Emmie's young man.
Miss Eta was a young person of re-
source. The housekeeper's room was
free to her. Thither she went and
wrote the following:
WoIyERToN, June Q
DEAR Sin: Your tclegraft got into rong
hands and will ruin me think. Dear sir
hoap YOU will not tell every body you had a
letter from me. will keep your book and
letters IL, yoa send m yonr sollum oath
and .tffsdasii that you never had no word
from trewiy Eta Archer.
pS soon rs you send me your atry-
david viii send you all YOU things.
This epis,!e was mailed at about the
same moment taat the missing despatch
was taken up from behind the divan
were Eta had carefully placed it, to be
found when the inevitable search
should be made. The replies to the
two We're ~ follows:
Miss Eft, ARCHER: trust that no.harm
has followed my reply to your letter. III
closed hand you the affidavit You ask for.
Yours respectfully, FREDERICK MoRToS.
And the bulky envelope contained
a document, signed and sealed by no
tary. setting forth that Frederick Nor
ton. being duly sworn, deposes and
SAYS that he will not divulgc the fact
of having had any communication of
any sort from Miss Eta Archer, of
Wolyerton. and that he will nj MI times
steadfastly deny any acquaintance with
or knowledge of said Miss Eta Archer.
etc., etc. Subscribed and sworn to be-
fore me this 10th day of June. 1881.
etc. etc. And the response 10 his diplo-
matte telegram. on the ingenuity OF
which he had congratulated himself,
was:
ARLINGTON HALL, Wolyerton. June ..
Sir: NY niece is in receipt OF telegram
bearing your name and containing expires.
sions showing that if it did not come from
you it must have been sent by some one
convarsant with your private life write
in hope that you end my niece may posi-
by been made the victims of cruel practi
cal joke and that you may sustain your
good reputation by speedily clearing the
matter up or by giving satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION. ! enclose tile despatch.
Yours Respectfully,
FLORA ETHEL ARLINGTON.
This letter coming nj the same time
as Etta's frightened appeal for silence.
caused Fred some little anxiety. Here )
a complication. he unused. I've cyi-
IDENTITY got to square myself with all
these people before | can get back my
pocket-book.' and 50 he sent the s.nila-
Wit to Eta and the following to Miss
Arlington:
London, June II, 1881.
DEAR MADAME: / am III receipt of your
kind and considerate note of yesterday.
Permit me 10 explain that my despatch was
not intended for your niece, but for an en-
tirely different young lady. 1t was, of
course, misdirected bv mistake.
Yours sincerely,
FREDERICK MORTON.
There" he remarked. with a feeling
of relief. Il think that will do the
trick. believe | have missed my yo-
cation. should have gone in for
diplomacy
As Fred mailed his highly explanatory
effort he felt quite elated at getting 50
adroitly out of rather an awkard affair.
Funny idea he said to himself.
.Fancy my telling the heiress Of Airing
ton Hall that | regret that previous en-
tanglements will prevent my marrying
her. must tell that to Emmie.'
1t seemed to Fred that the whole
affair was 50 intensely funny that he
must sit down and write his Emmie all
the ludicrous and laughter provoking
"details. lie proceeded rs far rs My
dear Emmie," when the recollection of
the affidavit doomed up like rock in
mid-ocean and blocked the way. Upon
reflection he thought he might as well
not tell Emmie anything about the mat
ter. Young ladies, however. sensible
and gentle, are apt to view quite seri-
ously anything which even looks like
leyity in the matter of such questions
as love or matrimony. 1.-The least said
the soonest mendcd," reflected this
young Talleyrand. and he wrote Emmic
the usual letter of commonplace, spiced
Will luO-t little cHtcaTIlcIlr NitIi
which young people in love are 50
easily fluent. and which bear in mind,
are never commonplace.
Fred's airy reply to Miss Arlington's
note turned the vinegar of her indigna-
ton into the gall of resentment, and
poor little Emmie was forced to con-
clude that Fred was shameless and
heartless wretch. She spent dismal
hour sorting out and taking last read
ing Of his letters, and after kissing
them a fearful farewell, she made !
neat package Of them, adding Frcd's
browning bit Of Of hairless etlrontcry.
his last letter, promptly forwarded
from Stratford and torn open in the
vain hope the mystery was to be cleared
up at last. Its failure to refer in any
way to the singular conduct of the day
before was the last straw. Pressing
her pretty lips, swollen with weeping,
TO the engagement ring, she included